Are there too many EDM festivals?

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Dancing Astronaut engages this question in an editor roundtable.

I don't think we've reached a breaking point in Canadian festivals yet. What I do agree with Dancing Astronaut is that there are opportunities for new festivals if they create a unique experience for fans as EDC and Tomorrowland have successfully done.

The question that I ask myself is whether there is enough fresh music created to justify seeing more than 1 or possibly 2 festivals a year? With so many DJs using the same tracks and mashups will EDM fans begin to tire of the whole experience?

What I like to see is some promoters taking a bit of a risk and seeing what sticks. Digital Dreams is a perfect example as they introduced a techno/house heavy lineup in Toronto for Canada Day and were rewarded with a successful event. I await to see their 2013 lineup but I hope to see even more next year. If you have a big enough to hold a festival to cater to all tastes then that's great, but if you need to make some decisions, then it's better to have a point of view than none.

Random thought: I'd love to see something like the Warehouse Project come to Canada.

Dillon Francis: "Trap is basically minimal dubstep to me"

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From Lessthan3's interview with Dillon Francis:

"Trap is basically minimal dubstep to me. I’ve always been into minimal house, and there aren’t a lot of kids who are. In a similar way, it takes away all the high screeches and just lets the listener groove...RL Grime, Flosstradamus, and Baauer are really the guys pushing the sound right now, but I see it going in a more Jersey/Baltimore club direction with guys like DJ Sliink in the future. I expect more techy sounds too, with more bleepy, EDM-type influences."

Very funny interview, check out the rest of it here.

Paul Oakenfold chimes in about the American EDM boom

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From Beatport:

"The times have changed for electronic music—it is now all about short bursts of energy. With so much going on at such a fast pace, there is desperation for the fans to have everything all at once.... Regrettably it is no longer about seven-hour sets and extended musical experiences, but more about hitting it hard and getting on with it. I don’t necessarily like that approach or enjoy seeing it, as I still love the idea of taking people on a journey in music and sharing experiences both new and unusual, not to mention showcasing the art of DJing."

You haven't fully experienced electronic dance music until you've attended an extended set by one of your favourite DJs. It would be so cool to one day see a forward thinking festival introducing 4 hour set times for someone like Carl Cox, Armin, Sasha, or Markus.

You can read the full Beatport interview with Paul Oakenfold here.